Downtown Morgantown, WV, sits just below the PA/WV border. If you travel north about 60 miles, you’ll hit the beautiful city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. But if you stick around in Morgantown, you’ll find that the otherwise small town flourishes into an exciting and sometimes crazy college town. Morgantown boasts West Virginia’s flagship West Virginia University, a university growing closer and closer to about 40,000 students.
Coffeehouses in Morgantown
With the bustling commotion of college-life, coffee is a must. I’ve lived in Morgantown for over 20 years and have gone to college at WVU for about three and a half years. I’ve had my fair share of trips to coffee shops, and here’s what I’ve learned coming out on the other side. There are about four staple coffeehouses within the downtown campus area in Morgantown, and they each have their charms and downsides. I’ll unpack what you need to know about these coffeehouses.
The first coffeehouse that comes to mind when I think coffee in Morgantown is The Grind. The Grind, conveniently named for what coffee supposedly helps us do in the morning and for how we get those beans into coffee for, sits just across from WVU’s classrooms on University Avenue.
It’s a classic in Morgantown. It’s lasted for a long time, has the same, gritty feel as it has always had, and offers a decent set of staple items in terms of coffee and food.
I would rate the prices at The Grind as so-so, because the espresso is accurately priced, whereas the drip coffee drinks are a bit expensive, such as iced coffee and house blend brews.
The breakfast and lunch sandwiches are delicious and house-made, so I would rate the food as great. The atmosphere at The Grind is kind of constricting, if you don’t like small spaces.
The only seating areas are pretty small with tiny tables, and it is often darkly lit inside the shop. The lines are usually crowded, and you can usually find a mix of students, professors, and businesspeople inside. It definitely has a quick-paced, urban café feel, and if you like people-watching, then the window bar is perfect (if you can find a seat). The Grind is a classic stop in downtown Morgantown, and even if it doesn’t become your regular coffee stop, it’s still great for a first time. (Try the dirty chai latte.)
It’s a classic in Morgantown. It’s lasted for a long time, has the same, gritty feel as it has always had, and offers a decent set of staple items in terms of coffee and food.
The lines are usually crowded, and you can usually find a mix of students, professors, and businesspeople inside. It definitely has a quick-paced, urban café feel, and if you like people-watching, then the window bar is perfect (if you can find a seat). The Grind is a classic stop in downtown Morgantown, and even if it doesn’t become your regular coffee stop, it’s still great for a first time. (Try the dirty chai latte.)
The next coffeehouse that I think of that screams Morgantown is perhaps the most popular by all demographics – students, locals, professors, businesspeople, etc. And that café is the Blue Moose Café. The Blue Moose is another Morgantown classic, and it used to be known for its old, checkered floors until it recently got remodeled. It’s still beautifully decorated with draping plants, flowers, and succulents, though, and these little touches are what most people like about it.
I would rate the atmosphere the best out of all four coffeehouses, because there is generally enough space and seating, the crowd and staff are friendly, and it’s well-lit with good music. The only downside to the atmosphere would probably be that their wifi network is usually hard to connect to. The menu is extensive, the food menu is delicious, and the prices are moderately set. The Blue Moose sometimes even hosts poetry or music events and is well involved in the Morgantown art scene.
If you go across the bridge right next to the Blue Moose Café, you’ll end up in the sunny, friendly neighborhood of South Park, which is mostly made up of students and professors. It’s a beautiful, historic neighborhood with friendly people, and at the top of Kingwood Street, you’ll find the relatively new coffeeshop called Quantum Bean. This coffeeshop was just finished at the beginning of the summer of 2018, and it’s a little fancier than some of the other coffeeshops in Morgantown.
Quantum Bean
Since it’s new, independently owned, and they roast their own coffee, I find that the prices are a little outrageous, and there aren’t many choices on the menu.
For a professor or the wealthier crowd, it’s a good stop, but even their specialty espresso drinks are overpriced. The coffee here is also very strong, but this might be perfect for you if you like your espresso that way.
But one solid about Quantum bean is that they are always friendly and are always bumping great music.
The last coffeeshop I’ll mention is kind of an exception because it’s really a university coffeeshop. It’s called Eliza’s, and it’s located inside the university’s main downtown library. Because of this, the hours are a little wonky, and it usually isn’t open during the summer. The best thing about Eliza’s are its prices, which are always decent and affordable. The coffee isn’t the best when it comes to espresso, but it’s a go-to when it comes to simple drinks like iced coffee of drip coffee. They also serve really good prepared salads, sandwiches, and sushi. It’s great if you’re in a rush and don’t have much to spend.
There are a lot of coffee options in Morgantown, but I think these four are probably my favorite. They’re all worth trying out at least once.
